UN peacekeepers guard Congolese farmers working their fields

DHENDRO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO — 

Under a scorching sun in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many of the farmers tending to their fields in the troubled eastern region are guarded by United Nations peacekeepers.

The U.N. mission has fallen under increasing scrutiny over the years as the eastern conflict between rebel groups, self-defense forces and other militias has raged.

But in this corner of Djugu territory in the village of Dhendro, farmers are unequivocal in their support for the U.N. force known by the acronym MONUSCO. The farmers, many displaced from their homes by the conflict, shelter in camps near the U.N. bases.

"I came here because of the presence of MONUSCO. It's thanks to their presence that I'm going to the field; otherwise I'm afraid," 23-year-old Lokana Heritier, who left his village to live closer to the blue helmets, told Reuters.

MONUSCO has been deployed in Congo since 2010, when it took over from an earlier U.N. operation to secure the troubled eastern region that borders Rwanda.

The operation to guard farmers who grow corn, beans, potatoes and manioc is known as "Secure Harvest" and it aims to allow them to work freely during the harvesting season and provide protection from militia groups who steal produce and kill people.

"The main objective is to secure the farmers in their farmland when they are working. We believe this is directly linked to the protection of civilians that MONUSCO is mandated for," Brigadier General Monzurul Alam told Reuters.

Last year, the U.N. Security Council approved the end of the mission at the request of President Felix Tshisekedi. The 13,500-strong force had faced attacks and protests over perceptions that it had failed to secure the population.

Congo's government reversed course in July and asked MONUSCO to remain in Ituri and North Kivu provinces until conditions were met for the force's departure, without providing further details.